UMass Amherst Symphony Orchestra Concerto/Aria Competition 2025

Download the 2025 Concerto & Aria Competition Entry Form

Eligibility: Any UMass student enrolled for applied lessons with a UMass Department of Music & Dance faculty member during the semester of Concerto/Aria Competition is eligible to participate with the approval of the student’s applied teacher.

Jury: TBA

 Categories: One winner will be chosen from each of the following categories:

1. Undergraduate category, (BMus or BA in Music degree tracks and music minors)
2. Graduate category (MMus degree tracks)
3. Open category (Including Professional Performer Certificate students and non-majors; a second undergraduate or graduate student may also hold this position.)

Please email Gonzalo Hidalgo Ardila (@email) or Sydnee Hinrichsen (@email) with any questions.

1. The competition is open to any UMass Amherst student currently registered for Applied Lessons (MUSIC APP). Previous winners of the competition are not eligible to compete. However, if a student won as an undergraduate and is now a graduate student, that person is eligible.

2. Applicants must perform on an instrument/voice on which they are taking lessons in the Department.

3. Students pursuing an undergraduate degree must apply for the undergraduate category; students pursuing a graduate degree must apply for the graduate category. All students, including the above categories and Professional Performance Certificate students (who have not yet obtained a Masters in Music degree), and non-majors apply in the open category. (Undergraduates and graduates may apply in BOTH their own category and the Open category).

4. The signatures of the applicant, applied teacher, accompanist, and conductor are required on the entry form.

5. Entry forms must be returned, with all signatures, by email to:
   Gonzalo Hidalgo Ardila (@email) and Sydnee Hinrichsen (@email).

6. Entry forms will be accepted starting December 2^nd and MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 4:30 PM on Friday, January 31st. Given the limited number of audition spots available, students are encouraged to get their entry form in as early as possible, as spots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

7. Time slots for the auditions will be assigned by Tuesday, February 4, and communicated to all applicants and accompanists via email as well as being posted on Department bulletin boards.

8. Applicants’ selected works shall be at least six (6) and no longer than twenty (20) minutes. Singers may select two shorter pieces to meet the minimum time requirement.

9. For the competition, applicants may select movements from concertos or aria selections from a work that best represent their abilities.

10. Any work for soloist and orchestra is acceptable for performance. Suitable genres include arias, songs, concertos, concertinos, etc. Budget and time constraints may render some works unsuitable. The Director of Orchestral Studies will be the sole judge of suitability. Potential participants are advised to consult with their teachers before committing to a work.

11. The music must be prepared for the performance in the event that a candidate wins. In addition, the music should be memorized for the competition. The memorization requirement can be waived only if the work is relatively new and the student has approval from both the applied teacher and the Director of Orchestral Studies.

12. Any applicant who is unable to attend the competition audition for any reason will be disqualified. No make-up auditions are allowed.

13. The competition auditions on February 7^th will be open to the public for viewing.

14. The Director of Orchestral Studies will be present at the competition but will not adjudicate. The competition jury will consist of noted musicians from outside the UMass faculty. They may make written comments, in addition to determining a numerical score for each entrant. No national standard is assumed in the design of the numerical scoring system. It serves strictly as an aid to the judges in ranking the applicants. The jury’s comments may be given to applied teachers to discuss with applicants in an appropriate manner.

15. The decision of the jury is final.

16. The results of the competition will be announced by a representative of the jury immediately following the competition and posted promptly. A maximum of one winner in each category will perform with the UMass Amherst Symphony Orchestra on Friday, April 11, 2025.